EARLY WITCHES
EARLY WITCHES
I. Origins:
A. Mesopotamia: Iran, Asia Minor; Thessaly/Bulgaria
B.Pre-history: connected to Mater/Meter "Mother" & Hekate (goddess of witches)
1. "meter" Is priestesses--prob. "witches" evidence: folk tales ? & myth
II. Circe: witch in Homer, Odyssey--lst description in literature
A. Characteristics:
1. beautiful (later-witches are ugly)
B. Powers:
1. super-human, but less than gods
2. "mana"= Greek dynamis (power)
3. "moly" -antidote to Circe's power
C. Practices:
1. herbs-healed;
2. controlled mana
3. prophecy-can see Future
4. had "grace" = charis, arete (excellence)
III. Magic: developed from witches' practices
A. Spells, formulae, symbols, amulets, etc. protections
B. Tools:
1. wand
2. herb (potion)
3. a god who revealed secret
C. "Black" magic: curses, incantations, poisons
IV. Medea-pivotal figure for witches
A. Background:
1. Circe's niece
2. granddaughter of Helios (Sun), a Titan
3. from Colchis (Eastern edge of Black Sea)
4. Princess & priestess of Hekate
B. Medea's story & changes--see handout 1,1
V. Image of the Witch: changes from beautiful, healer, priestess to ugly, evil "crone"
A. Circe-beautiful
B. Medea--causes changed image
C. other ancient witch-types:
1. Lilith (Hebrew)
2. Lamias (Greco-Roman)- semi-vampires
3. Harpies (Mesopotamian) -baby snatcher/stealers
D. Roman era and later: evil crone image dominant
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